From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Cut-and-Paste Poetry
Today’s poetry writing exercise comes from my book 101 Creative Writing Exercises. The exercises in this book encourage you to experiment with different forms and genres while providing inspiration for publishable projects and imparting useful writing techniques that make your writing more robust. This exercise is from “Chapter 8: Free Verse.” It’s titled “Cut-and-Paste Poetry.”…Read More
Poetry Prompts for Ranting and Raving
It’s easy to think of poetry as soft, flowery, and convoluted. It’s the stuff of Shakespeare, greeting cards, and children’s books. It’s precious, sweet, and erudite. But some of the most exciting modern poetry defies all those stereotypes, and you need look no further than the slam poetry and spoken word communities to see how…Read More
36 Poetry Writing Tips
Poetry is the most artistic and liberating form of creative writing. You can write in the abstract or the concrete. Images can be vague or subtle, brilliant or dull. Write in form, using patterns, or write freely, letting your conscience (or subconscious) be your guide. You can do just about anything in a poem. That’s…Read More
Poetry Writing Exercises: Alliteration and Assonance
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from 101 Creative Writing Exercises, a book that encourages you to experiment with different forms and genres of writing while providing inspiration for publishable projects and imparting useful writing techniques that make your writing more robust. This exercise is from “Chapter 8: Free Verse.” It’s titled “Alliteration and…Read More
Poetry Writing Ideas and Activities
A poem can come out of nowhere and land on the page, fully formed, in just a few minutes. A poem can also be the result of hours (or weeks) of laboring over line breaks, word choices, images, and rhythm. Poems are funny little things, appearing out of nowhere and disappearing for no apparent reason….Read More
Three Poetry Writing Exercises
If you’re going to exercise, it’s a good idea to warm up first. That way, you’ll get your body geared up to do the heavy lifting, the hard running, and the strenuous workout. Writing’s no different. Poetry writing exercises are ideal when you’re feeling uninspired or lazy, or maybe your poetry is getting stale and…Read More
How to Construe and Convey Tone in Poetry
In literature, tone is the mood, attitude, or emotional sensibility of a written work. In poetry, tone expresses the narrator’s disposition toward the poem’s subject, the reader, or the narrative itself. We might describe a poem’s tone as irreverent, relaxed, sarcastic, solemn, jubilant, or desperate. Tone can be any emotion or state of mind, and a…Read More
Seasonal Poetry Prompts for Spring and Summer
Poets have a long tradition of honoring the seasons by writing odes. Poetry celebrates spring and summer for bringing renewal to the land and warmth to our lives. Rebirth is a common theme in poetry, so the spring season, with its fresh skies and new shoots, is a rejuvenating source of inspiration. Summer is packed…Read More
Poetry: Rhythm and Meter
Rhythm is everywhere: we hear it in the hum of vehicles and appliances. We feel it when we walk or run. We see it in the very rising and setting of the sun. Even our hearts beat to a rhythm. Rhythm is built into the way we experience and perceive the world. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary offers several…Read More
Poetry Prompts for Fall
It seems like summer always passes too quickly and winter lasts too long. Maybe that’s why fall is a favorite season for so many people. It seems to hang around just long enough. It’s not too hot, not too cold — a mild, colorful, and comfortable season. Every fall, my creativity goes into overdrive, and…Read More
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